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Peace of mind for expectant parents
PLOS
A team led by Adelaide-based researchers has taken an important step towards validating the safety of intravenous magnesium sulphate as a treatment during pregnancy. Funder: Research Foundation of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Australia. Media Release Read more about Peace of mind for expectant parents - Scimex
Australia; SASouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) -
Hire more LGBTQ and disabled astronomers or risk falling behind, review finds
Nature Astronomy
Analysis finds gender equity among star scientists improving, but big challenges remain. Ensuring research opportunities for indigenous, disabled and LGBTQ astronomers is essential if Australian research is to succeed in the new era of Read more about Hire more LGBTQ and disabled astronomers or risk falling behind, review finds - Scimex
Australia; ACTARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D) -
Saving the ozone layer in 1987 slowed global warming
Environmental Research Letters
It may have been an accidental side effect but new research shows that when the world's nations signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987 to ban CFCs and save the ozone layer they also signed an agreement that has already done more to slow global warming Read more about Saving the ozone layer in 1987 slowed global warming - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of New South Wales -
Symposium focuses on hot cities
Adelaide – and cities around the world – are facing similar challenges: higher population density, reduced open spaces, rising urban heat, increasing need for cooling to combat the heat, and urban pollution. The Heat and Habitat in Cities Read more about Symposium focuses on hot cities - Scimex
Australia; SAThe University of Adelaide -
Reducing chronic disease: we have the tools, but we're not using them
The Lancet Global Health
There are plenty of evidence-based policy options for reducing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease (like tobacco taxes or banning alcohol advertising). However, we are not doing a great job of using them, warns a new WHO Read more about Reducing chronic disease: we have the tools, but we're not using them - Scimex
Australia; New Zealand; InternationalUniversity of Oxford -
Peanut allergy vaccine may help rewrite the immune system
Peanut allergies could become a thing of the past as a new vaccine which has proved successful in human blood samples gets a boost towards human trials. The vaccine uniquely uses a virus-based platform to rewrite the body’s natural response to Read more about Peanut allergy vaccine may help rewrite the immune system - Scimex
Australia; SAUniversity of South Australia -
Seahorse breeding project aims to recover endangered species from near extinction
To help recover declining populations of White’s seahorse, also known as the Sydney seahorse, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is implementing a breeding and conservation project in collaboration with organisations including the NSW Department of Primary Read more about Seahorse breeding project aims to recover endangered species from near extinction - Scimex
Australia; NSWUniversity of Technology Sydney (UTS) -
Changing eating behaviour may be as effective as drugs for reducing the nibbles, at least for rats
PLOS Biology
Want to do less nibbling? Changing your diet and eating behaviour between meals could be as effective as drugs designed to reduce appetite, at least if you are a rat, according to researchers from the UK. The team investigated the effect of appetite Read more about Changing eating behaviour may be as effective as drugs for reducing the nibbles, at least for rats - Scimex
InternationalImperial College London, UK -
Measles deaths surged worldwide in 2018
Worldwide more than 140, 000 people died from measles in 2018, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization. These deaths–mostly children–occurred as measles cases surged globally, amidst devastating outbreaks in all regions. Read more about Measles deaths surged worldwide in 2018 - Scimex
InternationalWorld Health Organization; US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention -
Gene network sparks future autism treatment
Neuron
A mutated gene found in people with intellectual disabilities that could be targeted for treatment has been identified by an international team including University of Queensland researchers. Funder: This work was supported by R01MH107182 to P.P. We Read more about Gene network sparks future autism treatment - Scimex
Australia; QLDThe University of Queensland|Griffith University|The University of Adelaide -
Burnt forests benefit bats
Nature
Some California bats thrive after wildfires, according to researchers who monitored bat populations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for three years. Of the 17 bat species in the area, six species flourished after forest fires, which the researchers Read more about Burnt forests benefit bats - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of California, USA -
Not eating for 14 hours a day may come with many benefits
Cell Metabolism
Time restricted eating (TRE) has been known to help reduce weight and blood pressure in mice, but now researchers in America have done a trial in humans that shows that TRE can have many other benefits for those with an increased risk of developing Read more about Not eating for 14 hours a day may come with many benefits - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of California San Diego School of Medicine -
Smartphone zombies: Distracted phone users rack up the head and neck injuries
JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
The number of head and neck injuries has increased over the last 20 years with many cases resulting from distraction, especially after smartphones came into use around 2007, according to US research. The study of phone-related injuries found that Read more about Smartphone zombies: Distracted phone users rack up the head and neck injuries - Scimex
InternationalRutgers New Jersey Medical School, USA -
SCINEMA International Science Film Festival 2020 Entries Now Open!
Do you have an awesome science film to share with the world? SCINEMA, the largest science film festival in the southern hemisphere, is calling for entries for its 2020 festival. Media Release. From:RiAus. Now in its 20th year, SCINEMA (pronounced sci Read more about SCINEMA International Science Film Festival 2020 Entries Now Open! - Scimex
AustraliaRiAus -
Call for disaster-specific pharmacy legislation
Australian Health Review
Pharmacists caught up in the Australian bushfire crisis are being hampered from providing timely and effective treatment to displaced people due to outdated laws, according to QUT researchers. Funder: N/A. Media Release. From:Queensland University Read more about Call for disaster-specific pharmacy legislation - Scimex
Australia; QLDQueensland University of Technology (QUT) -
Mobile devices blur work and personal privacy raising cyber risks
International Conference on Information Systems
Organisations aren’t moving quickly enough on cyber security threats linked to the drive toward using personal mobile devices in the workplace, warns a QUT privacy researcher. Dr Kenan Degirmenci from QUT’s Science and Engineering Faculty’s Read more about Mobile devices blur work and personal privacy raising cyber risks - Scimex
Australia; QLDQueensland University of Technology (QUT) -
Car crash speed and severity not a good predictor of whiplash injury
PLOS ONE
Whether you will get whiplash after a car crash may come down to more than just the severity of the crash and the speed involved, according to a small Australian, Canadian and US study. The study used collision data, repair invoices, and crash Read more about Car crash speed and severity not a good predictor of whiplash injury - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of Sydney -
Vaper’s lung scarring likened to metal damage
European Respiratory Journal
A rare form of lung scarring may be caused by vaping, say US physicians. In a one-off case study, doctors describe a patient with a distinctive pattern of damage typically seen in people who work with 'hard metals', such as cobalt or tungsten. The Read more about Vaper’s lung scarring likened to metal damage - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of California San Francisco, USA -
Rural decline not driven by water recovery
Climatic Change
New research from the University of Adelaide has shown that climate and economic factors are the main drivers of farmers leaving their properties in the Murray-Darling Basin, not reduced water for irrigation as commonly claimed. Media Release. Read more about Rural decline not driven by water recovery - Scimex
Australia; NSW; VIC; SAThe University of Adelaide -
Fatal child drownings: Chores a distraction in more than 4 out of 10 cases
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
New UNSW research is a timely reminder this summer that housework, socialising and miscommunication can become deadly distractions when young children are left alone in or near water. Indoor household duties alone were the main factor in almost one Read more about Fatal child drownings: Chores a distraction in more than 4 out of 10 cases - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of New South Wales -
Bendy bamboo helps us carry heavy loads
Journal of Experimental Biology
If you've ever travelled to Southeast Asia, you have likely come across people carrying huge loads, sometimes greater than their own bodyweight, over their shoulders, slung to a bamboo pole. International and Aussie researchers suggest that the Read more about Bendy bamboo helps us carry heavy loads - Scimex
Australia; WAEdith Cowan University -
Half a million crabs killed by plastic debris on remote islands
Journal of Hazardous Materials
In the first study of its kind, an IMAS-led research team estimates that around 570 000 hermit crabs have been killed on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean and Henderson Island in the Pacific after being trapped in plastic debris. Read more about Half a million crabs killed by plastic debris on remote islands - Scimex
Australia; TASInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) -
Accessible work placements support equity and diversity in engineering
Social capital, financial status and personal circumstances can impact engineering work placement experiences, leaving some students at a disadvantage, according to new research led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) with The University of Read more about Accessible work placements support equity and diversity in engineering - Scimex
Australia; NSW; WAUniversity of Technology Sydney (UTS)|Curtin University -
New tool to predict the global spread of dengue
PLOS ONE
Researchers at CSIRO, QUT and Queensland Health have developed a new tool to predict the global spread of human infectious diseases, like dengue, and track them to their source. Media Release. From:Data61. Researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s Read more about New tool to predict the global spread of dengue - Scimex
Australia; NSW; QLDData61|Queensland University of Technology (QUT) -
Adding copper strengthens 3D-printed titanium
Nature
Successful trials of titanium-copper alloys for 3D printing could kickstart a new range of high-performance titanium alloys for medical device, defence and aerospace applications. Funder: Australian Research Council. Media Release. From:RMIT Read more about Adding copper strengthens 3D-printed titanium - Scimex
Australia; VIC; QLDRMIT University|The University of Queensland|CSIRO -
Topical cream helps prevent alcohol flush
JAMA Dermatology
A topical gel applied to the face before drinking can help reduce the symptoms of a red flush common in Asians when drinking, report US researchers. In a small trial of those who self-reported experiencing alcohol flushing syndrome, the gel (applied Read more about Topical cream helps prevent alcohol flush - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of California, USA -
Children with food allergies seen faster under new paediatric model
Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Children with food allergies are seen 10 months sooner and have fewer allergic reactions when treated by a paediatrician in their own community, a new study shows. Funder: The study was funded by a Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation grant. Read more about Children with food allergies seen faster under new paediatric model - Scimex
Australia; VICMurdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) -
Teens must ‘get smart’ about social media
International Journal of Eating Disorders
New research indicates that social media is leading young adolescent girls and boys down a worrying path towards developing body image issues and eating disorder behaviours – even though they are smartphone savvy. The Australian research, Read more about Teens must ‘get smart’ about social media - Scimex
Australia; SA; WAFlinders University|The University of Western Australia -
Cohabiting Aussies have similar effects on their partner's drinking habits as newlyweds
Drug & Alcohol Review
An Australian study looked at cohabiting couples to investigate the influence each partner had on the other's drinking behaviour, and whether it was any different than in newly married couples. They surveyed 1, 483 newly cohabiting, Australian Read more about Cohabiting Aussies have similar effects on their partner's drinking habits as newlyweds - Scimex
Australia; VICLa Trobe University -
Conceiving within six months of birth does not increase risk of diabetes
Annals of Epidemiology
Curtin University researchers have found insufficient evidence to suggest that falling pregnant again within six months of giving birth is associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes. Media Release. From:Curtin University. Curtin Read more about Conceiving within six months of birth does not increase risk of diabetes - Scimex
Australia; WACurtin University -
Dogs can pick out familiar words from unfamiliar folk
Biology Letters
Are you devastated every time you ask your pooch to do something, only for them to obey instantly when your partner requests it? Bad news - they can definitely understand you. New research from the UK finds dogs can distinguish familiar words, even Read more about Dogs can pick out familiar words from unfamiliar folk - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of Sussex, UK -
Sleeping on it doesn’t help eyewitnesses pick out perpetrators
Royal Society Open Science
UK researchers digging into the reliability of witness accounts in court have found getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t improve witnesses’recall. To test this, they got 4, 000 people to watch a mock-crime video and asked to identify the Read more about Sleeping on it doesn’t help eyewitnesses pick out perpetrators - Scimex
InternationalRoyal Holloway University of London, UK -
NEWS BRIEFING: Fossil fuel emissions growth slows in 2019 - Global Carbon Budget
Global Carbon Budget
BRIEFING Recording now available Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels will continue to grow in 2019 but the rate of growth is slowing compared to previous years, according to new data from the Global Carbon Project, head-quartered in Australia. Read more about NEWS BRIEFING: Fossil fuel emissions growth slows in 2019 - Global Carbon Budget - Scimex
Australia; ACT -
Strong link between bad cholesterol and heart disease
The Lancet
You've heard it before, but now the most thorough analysis of its kind finds a strong link between cholesterol levels and long-term risk for heart disease and stroke - but this time it's not just boomers and octogenarians at risk. The German-led Read more about Strong link between bad cholesterol and heart disease - Scimex
InternationalHelmholtz Zentrum München, Germany -
Star-quake vibrations lead to new estimate for Milky Way age
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Data gathered by NASA’s now defunct Kepler telescope provides a solution to an astronomical mystery. Funder: The research was funded by the University of Sydney’s Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research, the Australian Research Council, ASTRO 3D, the Read more about Star-quake vibrations lead to new estimate for Milky Way age - Scimex
Australia; International; NSW; QLD; WAARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D)... -
Tiny Red handfish hatchlings a lifeline for world’s rarest fish
Fifty new born Red handfish are giving IMAS scientists an opportunity to help save the last known populations of the world’s rarest fish. The tiny Red handfish hatched in an IMAS aquarium this month from two egg masses collected at one of the last Read more about Tiny Red handfish hatchlings a lifeline for world’s rarest fish - Scimex
Australia; TASInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)|University of Tasmania -
Fitness consultations in oncology care motivate child cancer survivors to be more active
Heart and Mind
Just one exercise physiology consultation is enough to improve motivation and exercise levels among most child cancer survivors, a UNSW Sydney study has found. Funder: The Behavioural Sciences Unit at Sydney Children's Hospital is supported by the Read more about Fitness consultations in oncology care motivate child cancer survivors to be more active - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of New South Wales -
Research on Australia’s cities and regions: siloed, lacking vision and underfunded
The sustainable transformation of Australia’s cities and regions is being hampered by institutional silos, perennial underfunding and lack of a national vision according to a new report by Future Earth Australia, a program of the Australian Read more about Research on Australia’s cities and regions: siloed, lacking vision and underfunded - Scimex
AustraliaAustralian Academy of Science -
Artificial neurons could help fix broken brain circuits
Nature Communications
UK and New Zealand researchers have built artificial neurons on silicon chips that can mimic the electrical responses of real, biological neurons. They built both hippocampal and respiratory neurons, which the researchers say could be used to repair Read more about Artificial neurons could help fix broken brain circuits - Scimex
New Zealand; InternationalUniversity of Auckland|University of Bath, UK -
Bacteria in a blood cell's clothing: how strep hides from the immune system
Cell Reports
The bacterium that causes strep throat and other illnesses hides its presence from our immune system by wearing the cell-skin of red blood cells like a horrifying rendition of Hannibal Lecter on the microscopic scale, say US researchers. They say Read more about Bacteria in a blood cell's clothing: how strep hides from the immune system - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of California, San Diego, USA -
Experts call time on Big Pharma influence in healthcare
The BMJ
An Aussie-led groups of international medical experts are calling for the health sector to disentangle from commercial interests. Financial ties with industry are embedded across the sector - in research, education, and practice - which the authors Read more about Experts call time on Big Pharma influence in healthcare - Scimex
Australia; InternationalBond University|The University of Sydney -
Dangers of second-hand drinking: teen drinkers at high risk of assault and sexual harassment
Public Health Research & Practice
More than 70 per cent of teenage girls who are risky drinkers report unwanted sexual attention from other drinkers – just one of a multitude of harms young people experience from ‘second-hand drinking’, according to new Australian research. Read more about Dangers of second-hand drinking: teen drinkers at high risk of assault and sexual harassment - Scimex
Australia; NSWSax Institute -
Great Barrier Reef study shows how reef copes with rapid sea-level rise
Sedimentary Geology
An unprecedented study of coral cores from the Great Barrier Reef by scientists at the University of Sydney has shown that rapid sea-level rise and increased sediment came close to killing the reef 7, 000 years ago. An emerging model shows how Read more about Great Barrier Reef study shows how reef copes with rapid sea-level rise - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of Sydney -
Climate risks to health are growing but funding is lacking
Most countries are not acting on their own plans to safeguard human health from climate change, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the 100 countries surveyed by the WHO (including Australia and New Zealand), half Read more about Climate risks to health are growing but funding is lacking - Scimex
InternationalWorld Health Organization -
EXPERT REACTION: WMO Provisional Statement on the State of the Climate
COP25 - UN Climate Change Conference
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says, in their Provisional Statement on the State of the Climate, that 2019 ends a decade of exceptional global heat, retreating ice and record sea levels driven by greenhouse gasses from human activities. Read more about EXPERT REACTION: WMO Provisional Statement on the State of the Climate - Scimex
Australia; New Zealand; InternationalWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO) -
Through the eyes of animals
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Humans are a step closer to seeing what the world looks like through the eyes of animals, thanks to technology developed by researchers from The University of Queensland and the University of Exeter. Media Release. From:The University of Queensland. Read more about Through the eyes of animals - Scimex
Australia; New Zealand; QLDThe University of Queensland|The University of Exeter -
Soil study shows Australia at its most stripped back
Nature Communications
New research from The Australian National University (ANU) and Geoscience Australia could provide a much clearer picture of the Australian landscape, and how to better manage it under a changing climate. Funder: N/A. Media Release. From:The Read more about Soil study shows Australia at its most stripped back - Scimex
Australia; ACTThe Australian National University -
Raising plants to withstand climate change
Plant Physiology
Success with improving a model plant’s response to harsh conditions is leading plant molecular researchers to move to food crops including wheat, barley, rice and chickpeas. Flinders University and La Trobe researchers in Australia are focusing on Read more about Raising plants to withstand climate change - Scimex
Australia; VIC; SAFlinders University -
Measles rocketed in NZ and doubled in Australia over the last year
We've recently seen a surge in measles cases and devastating outbreaks in all regions of the world, according to the World Health Organization, which has released its stats summarising measles cases and deaths in 2018 and its figures for 2019 so far. Read more about Measles rocketed in NZ and doubled in Australia over the last year - Scimex
Australia; New ZealandWorld Health Organization (WHO) -
Half of people who are homeless may have experienced traumatic brain injury
The Lancet Public Health
One in two people who are homeless may have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in their lifetime, and almost a quarter may have experienced a traumatic injury that is moderate or severe according to a review of 38 studies over 23 years. The Read more about Half of people who are homeless may have experienced traumatic brain injury - Scimex
Australia; VIC; WAThe University of Melbourne|Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)...